AKT raises £2.3 million to fund US push ahead of Series B
What's the deal? AKT London, a plastic-free direct-to-consumer deodorant brand, has raised £2.3 million in a Series A extension led by existing backer Felix CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. More than £400,000 came from crowdfunding participants on Republic.
Why now? The raise bridges the gap between AKT's $7 million (£5.3 million) Series A and a planned Series B, where it hopes to secure at least £5 million in venture capital. The capital will support expansion in the US, where AKT has launched into beauty chain SephoraDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and sells through DTC channels.
By the numbers: In its 2025 financial year, turnover more than doubled to £13.7 million. The EBITDA loss widened from £2.2 million to £4.7 million, but the company targets £25.6 million in revenue and £1.7 million in EBITDA for 2027.
What's the endgame? Chief executive Darryl Adie said customer acquisition costs fell from £29 to £10 over the past year, crediting a "significant increase in US organic awareness." The US now accounts for 45% of new customers.
AKT also plans to grow its body mist line, which makes up about 10% of sales but is significantly more profitable than deodorant.
What could go wrong? The company has drawn down half of a £7 million venture debt facility. Adie said it would not tap the remaining £3.5 million without closing the Series B, calling further debt "excess capital and/or over-leveraging" unless expansion accelerates.
The signal: Founded in 2020 by former West End performers Ed Currie and Andy Coxon, AKT is leaning on organic US demand to close a profitability gap before raising at scale — a disciplined path for a consumer brand scaling across two markets.
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